Embarking on a journey towards a healthier lifestyle necessitates mastering the art of balance and making informed choices. Within the spectrum of health, the “Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts of Healthy Living” serve as guiding principles to cultivate vitality and well-being.
This blog seeks to unravel the nuanced practices, pitfalls, and insightful strategies that steer individuals towards optimal health. Delving into these fundamental dos and don’ts equips individuals with the knowledge and tools essential to sculpt a sustainable and vibrant life.
What is Healthy Living?
Firstly, understand that holistic living is not limited to only eating a healthy, restricted diet. Holistic living effortlessly happens when you live a lifestyle that is more in sync with nature and your natural circadian rhythm. With this process, the body detoxes and heals itself naturally.
Natural living means living a life with a calm mind, having a strong body, and eating fresh, light, and healthy foods. Such a lifestyle results in harmony with our body, mind, and soul. Which further develops unshakeable happiness, mental clarity, and health.
Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts of Healthy Living
1. SUNLIGHT
Exposure to natural light during the daytime plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. Natural light exposure, particularly from sunrise to an hour before sunset, provides essential cues to the body’s internal clock, regulating sleep-wake cycles and overall well-being.
It’s recommended to aim for at least 10,000 lux of light to support the body’s natural circadian rhythm.
Avoiding sitting in a dark room during daylight hours is essential, as it can disrupt the body’s internal clock, leading to potential sleep disturbances and impacting overall health. So, make it a point to seek natural light exposure whenever possible during the daytime, whether it’s through outdoor activities, spending time near windows, or simply taking breaks outdoors.
This practice aids in maintaining a healthy sleep pattern and promotes overall physical and mental wellness.
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Pro Tip for Busy People: You may eat breakfast in an open environment, like near an open window or a balcony or garden, to get sunlight.
2. DRINKING WATER
Being mindful of your body’s signals regarding hydration is crucial for maintaining optimal health. Drinking water is essential, but forcing oneself to constantly sip water, regardless of genuine thirst, may not align with the body’s needs.
Rather than mechanically consuming water throughout the day, it’s beneficial to listen to your body’s cues for thirst. Your body has an inherent ability to signal when it requires hydration. Drinking when you feel genuinely thirsty is a more intuitive approach to meeting your body’s hydration needs.
Being in tune with your body’s inner cues helps maintain the body’s natural balance. It’s essential to drink an adequate amount of Living water when you feel thirsty, ensuring proper hydration without overwhelming your system with excessive water intake.
This mindful approach supports overall well-being and keeps the body’s hydration levels in check.
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3. BATHING
The temperature of the water used during bathing can indeed impact your skin and overall health. While hot water can strip away natural oils and lead to dryness, lukewarm or normal water tends to be gentler on the skin.
In moderate temperatures, bathing with normal-temperature water is recommended. This helps to cleanse the body without causing stress to the skin or disrupting its natural balance. When it’s colder outside, slightly lukewarm water can provide comfort without causing excessive shock to the body.
Reserving warm or hot water baths for instances when you’re feeling unwell or for specific therapeutic purposes, such as body sponging to alleviate fever, can be beneficial. This targeted use helps in regulating body temperature without excessively drying out the skin.
Ultimately, adapting your bathing water temperature based on the external climate and your body’s comfort levels is a sensible approach to maintaining skin health and overall well-being.
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4. EATING WINDOW
The natural biological clock, known as the circadian rhythm, plays a significant role in regulating various bodily functions, including those related to metabolism and insulin production by the pancreas. Research indicates that our body’s insulin sensitivity and the pancreas’s peak activity to produce insulin are indeed most active during the daytime, particularly between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
During this period, the body’s metabolic processes, including glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity, tend to be more efficient. Meals consumed earlier in the day often coincide with this peak insulin activity, promoting better utilization of glucose and improved metabolic outcomes.
Conversely, as the evening approaches and nighttime sets in, the body’s metabolic processes start to slow down. Late-night meals or snacks may not align well with the natural rhythm of insulin production and glucose regulation, potentially impacting metabolic health.
Therefore, it’s beneficial to maintain a balanced meal schedule, ensuring that the majority of your daily food intake aligns with the body’s peak insulin activity during the daytime. This practice may contribute to better metabolic health and improved overall well-being.
Here are the Tips on How To Practice Mindful Eating
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5. SOAKING GRAINS AND NUTS
Soaking grains and nuts before consumption is a practice followed by many due to its potential benefits. When grains are soaked, it activates enzymes that help break down phytic acid, a compound found in grains, which can inhibit mineral absorption.
Soaking grains for 4-6 hours or overnight can aid in reducing phytic acid levels, potentially improving nutrient absorption and digestion.
Similarly, soaking nuts for 4-6 hours or overnight can help neutralize enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid found in the nut’s outer layer. This process of soaking nuts can enhance digestibility and improve the body’s ability to absorb nutrients present in the nuts.
By soaking grains and nuts, you may experience easier digestion and better absorption of nutrients. However, it’s important to note that soaking times may vary depending on the type of grain or nut.
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6. COOKING ON LOW FLAME
Consuming freshly cooked meals offers many health benefits, including higher nutrient content, improved taste, better digestion, greater control over ingredients, enhanced healing, and potential positive impacts on overall health and well-being.
Dead food will not give you a life. Only living food gives life, so cook the food fresh on low flame and eat it.
Also, cooking foods on a low flame offers benefits such as nutrient retention, enhanced flavour development, living nutrients, reduced formation of harmful compounds, improved digestibility, energy efficiency, and better control over the cooking process, making it a favourable cooking method for healthy living.
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7. MINDFUL EATING
Mindful eating habits can significantly impact digestion and overall health. Eating when experiencing genuine physical hunger, rather than emotional or psychological cues, allows for a more natural and balanced approach to nourishing the body.
Adopting a sitting position, such as the easy sitting pose, while eating can aid in better digestion. Sitting upright supports the proper alignment of the digestive organs, facilitating the digestive process and reducing discomfort during and after meals.
Chewing food thoroughly is crucial, as it kick-starts the digestive process. Properly chewed food is easier for the stomach to break down, allowing digestive enzymes in the saliva to initiate the breakdown of carbohydrates. Adequate chewing also ensures that larger food particles are broken down into smaller, more digestible portions, aiding in nutrient absorption and reducing the burden on the digestive system.
By practising mindful eating habits like eating only when genuinely hungry, maintaining a sitting position while consuming meals, and thoroughly chewing food, individuals can support better digestion, nutrient absorption, and overall digestive health.
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8. STRETCHING IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
Taking short breaks and incorporating simple stretches and eye exercises while using electronic devices for extended periods can benefit both physical and visual well-being.
- Mountain Pose: Standing up and stretching your arms overhead while reaching towards the sky can help relieve tension in the upper body and promote better posture.
- Left-Right Twist: Gently twisting your torso from side to side while seated or standing can help alleviate stiffness in the spine and lower back.
- Back-Forward Bend: Slowly bending forward at the hips while keeping the back straight can stretch the hamstrings and lower back, relieving tension.
- Blinking Exercises: Rapidly blinking your eyes for a few seconds can help moisten and rejuvenate the eyes, preventing eye strain caused by prolonged screen time.
- Eye Washing: Splashing your eyes with normal water or using an eye cup filled with water can refresh and hydrate the eyes, reducing dryness and fatigue.
Incorporating these quick and simple exercises every 2-3 hours can help alleviate physical discomfort, reduce eye strain, and promote better circulation, ultimately enhancing productivity and well-being during extended periods of screen use.
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9. EYE CARE IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
Rinsing your eyes with clean, normal water can help refresh and hydrate your eyes, potentially reducing dryness or discomfort. However, it’s crucial to ensure that the water used is clean and safe to prevent any risk of infection.
Eye Washing: Splashing your eyes with normal water while your mouth is filled with normal water and your eyes wide open or using an eye cup filled with water can refresh and hydrate the eyes, reducing dryness and fatigue.
Here are some considerations and potential tips for this practice:
- Use Clean Water: Ensure the water used for eye rinsing is pure, clean, and safe to prevent introducing any contaminants or bacteria into your eyes.
- Be Gentle: When splashing water on your eyes, be gentle to avoid any discomfort or irritation. Avoid excessive force that could cause discomfort or disrupt your eye’s natural lubrication.
- Individual Comfort: Not everyone may find this practice comfortable or suitable for their eyes. If you experience any discomfort, redness, or irritation, discontinue the practice and consult an eye care professional.
- Timing: Performing this ritual in the morning and before sleep may suit some individuals as part of their daily routine. However, it’s essential to listen to your body and adapt the practice based on personal preference and comfort.
- Eye Health Conditions: Individuals with certain eye conditions or sensitivities may need to be more cautious or consult an eye care professional before adopting such practices.
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10. SLEEP
Creating a sleep environment free from electronic devices can positively impact sleep quality and overall well-being. Electronic devices emit electromagnetic fields that might interfere with the body’s natural sleep patterns and overall health.
Here are some reasons and tips for creating an electronic-free sleep environment:
- Improved Sleep Quality: Removing electronic devices from the bedroom can reduce exposure to artificial light and electromagnetic fields, potentially promoting better sleep quality and deeper rest.
- Enhanced Relaxation: Reducing exposure to screens and electronic stimuli before bedtime can help signal the body to wind down and prepare for sleep more effectively.
- Minimized Distractions: Keeping electronic devices away from the bedroom can reduce the temptation to check emails, and social media, or engage in screen-related activities, allowing for better focus on relaxation and sleep.
- Potential Health Benefits: Limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields during sleep may have potential health benefits.
Tips To create a sleep-friendly environment:
- Turn off electronic devices and Wi-Fi routers before bedtime.
- Keep devices away from the bedroom or place them in aeroplane mode if needed.
- Consider establishing a “technology curfew” an hour or more before bedtime to allow your body to unwind naturally.
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Summary
Remember, true wellness is an ongoing journey, not a destination. It’s about cultivating sustainable habits that resonate with our individual needs and circumstances. By incorporating the valuable lessons learned from the ‘Top 10 do’s’ and ‘don’ts of healthy living,’ we pave the way towards a more vibrant, balanced, and fulfilling life.
FAQ
What are the do’s and don’ts of a healthy lifestyle?
1. Sunlight.
2. Drinking Water
3. Bathing.
4. Eating Window.
5. Soaking Grains & Nuts.
6. Cooking on Low Flame.
7. Mindful Eating.
8. Stretching in the Digital World.
9. Eye Care in the Digital World.
10. Sleep.
What are the healthy daily habits to improve health?
Incorporating The top 10 habits explained in this blog is the ultimate way to improve health.
Which water is best to drink?
Living water is best to drink for overall well-being.
What are the best sleeping habits to improve health?
Creating a sleep environment free from electronic devices can positively impact sleep quality and overall well-being.